ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 255 guests, and 16 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Redsy Offline OP
Member
We recently had a situation where a water line burst and some of the falling water made it's way to above one of our MCCs.
I shut off the 600 amp main breaker, in order to de-energize the MCC. Typically our load is 200-300 amps (@ 480Y/277). Someone suggested that I should have shut off the individual breakers prior to opening the main. I see no reason do this, particularly in this situation, however I would like opinions on opening the main (not necessarily regularly) under it's rated load.

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
I agree.
If I felt there was time, I would probably dump some branch loads first, not for the sake of the main CB, but for the sake of sensitive equipment out there somewhere that might not like being hammered.

With larger loads, dumping some stuff makes it more likely that certain types of switches will open and reduces the arc intensity when they are opened.

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,044
Tom Offline
Member
Should be no problem, after all, that breaker should be able to interupt a fault several times higher than it's rating without doing damage.

Tom


Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 85
C
Member
Wow, where i'm from I'd never even think about turning on a main without shedding the load first. You can break down a large inrush current by bringing on the loads a little bit at a time, especially with motor loads.

A
Anonymous
Unregistered
>turning on a main
He was talking about killing the main before it got wet.

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Redsy Offline OP
Member
Quote
Originally posted by CanadianSparky:
Wow, where i'm from I'd never even think about turning on a main without shedding the load first. You can break down a large inrush current by bringing on the loads a little bit at a time, especially with motor loads.

I understand your point and agree fully. Inrush can be minimized by bringing the load on gradually. I was discussing turning the power off, though.

Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 29
S
sam Offline
Member
I believe you would have to make a really
Quick judgement call on that situation.
Hope no one was injured in this incident!

Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,056
R
Redsy Offline OP
Member
Quote
Originally posted by sam:
I believe you would have to make a really
Quick judgement call on that situation.
Hope no one was injured in this incident!
Luckily, nobody was hurt and equipment damage was minimal.
I would have preferred to shut the feeder off at the substation supplying our building. However, up until this incident, we did not have a key. I had to decide quickly what to do.

Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 40
G
Member
Isn't that one of the purposes the main was installed in the first place? To provide a means of disconnecting power quickly.
I see nothng wrong with it, because it is designed for that purpose.

The fire dept or the utility is not going to take time to go around and find other disconnects to releive load!

You did the right thing. Don't fret over it. [Linked Image]

If the accusers were there then why didn't they do it? Or were they there and didn't know quite what to do? DUH DUH [Linked Image]

Hind sight is 20/20 and talk is sometimes cheap.

[This message has been edited by glenn35 (edited 07-25-2001).]

Joined: May 2001
Posts: 378
F
Member
gelnn35 is right and i belive pissing around de-energizing the load side of the MCC while water is leaking into the enclosure would be the worst course of action.ABOVE ALL THE MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER BY FAR IS THE SAFEST PLACE TO DE-ENERGIZE OR ENERGIZE ANY LOAD THAT COULD COME UNDER A FAULT CURRENT CONDITION.The load at risk included the line side of the MCC.


[This message has been edited by frank (edited 07-26-2001).]

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5